Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Gapers Block recently ran an excellent, comprehensive article written by Jon Graef about the “blooming shoegazer scene” in Chicago, highlighting some of the city’s up-and-coming bands that have a fondness for the fuzzy guitars and dreamlike sounds associated with the genre. On Thursday, June 10, Subterranean will host a musical equivalent to a sampler platter of these bands, with three of featured in the article - Apteka, Panda Riot and Sissy Mena - in the lineup. Here’s a little background on each to get you up to speed:

Apteka These guys have been around since '06 and have a loud, full sound that blends elements of shoegaze with psychedelia. They've just released a new 7" single called "Traitors," backed by a tune called "Aragon Sound" (Aragon sound is no longer just a hot topic of discussion among Chicago music fans - it's now officially a song title!). They'll release another 7" soon, and have even been caught covering the Thompson Twins in concert (see below). How's that for awesomely random?

Panda RiotWith airy female vocals supplied by Rebecca Scott over a gorgeous, ethereal backdrop, any dream-pop fan would have a tough time resisting the charms of Panda Riot. The band formed in Philadelphia but are currently stationed here in the Windy City. Their new EP Far & Near is a testament to their talent, featuring six songs that combine classic elements of the genre with electronic touches for ear-catching results. Have a look at the video for one of the tracks, "Motown Glass," below:

Sissy MenaWe first gave you a heads up about trio Sissy Mena back in December, when the band was getting ready for their EP release show at Double Door. The EP, Young Girl, is a strong introduction, using shoegaze as a base but not confining itself to anything that's quite that easy to categorize. Check out this video of the band performing one of the tracks, “Udellia,” on smallchicago.com: